‘Motorbikes, rickshaws inflicting disabilities as a result of damaged roads’
KARACHI: Frequent journey on the damaged roads of Karachi following weeks of monsoon rains is leading to everlasting disabilities amongst younger motorcyclists in addition to those that commute in rickshaws, well being consultants mentioned on Wednesday, and suggested motorcyclists and commuters to deal with their well being till the street infrastructure is improved within the metropolis.
Addressing a information convention on the Karachi Press Membership, rheumatologists, orthopaedic surgeons and different specialists warned that if the difficulty of the town’s deteriorating infrastructure is just not addressed instantly, the rising complaints of power again ache, primarily amongst younger motorcyclists, can grow to be an epidemic amongst Karachiites. Citing latest information and research, they claimed that the rising problem of backache, harm to vertebrae and repetitive accidents to spinal cords amongst Karachiites is affecting not solely the standard of lifetime of motorcyclists but in addition the well being of girls, and in lots of instances they’ve misplaced their pregnancies or given untimely births.
“The federal government wants to deal with this street infrastructure situation instantly earlier than it’s too late,” mentioned Pak-American Arthritis Centre (PAAC) Managing Director Dr Saliha Ishaq. “I’m monitoring these instances very intently. I see that amongst greater than 70 per cent of the individuals complaining of again ache are those that are motorcyclists.”
She added: “They’re principally children. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune and inflammatory illness through which the immune system of an individual assaults the wholesome cells of their physique by mistake, inflicting irritation within the affected components of the physique. Rheumatoid arthritis primarily assaults the joints, normally many joints directly.” Dr Tabe Rasool of the Dow College of Well being Sciences described how the deteriorating roads, the poor high quality of motorbikes and the random pace humps are straight inflicting lifetime illnesses, primarily for motorcyclists. “There are discs between human vertebrae. Over these discs there are blood vessels. Repetitive accidents as a result of these damaged roads and infrastructures badly harm the vertebrae alignment, which ends up in totally different and critical points, together with extreme ache generally referred to as Arqun Nisa and spinal wire arthritis.” He added: “These repetitive accidents typically result in lifetime points. So, it’s time to behave now. There’s a three-pronged answer: repair the street infrastructure, guarantee high quality bike manufacturing and keep a wholesome life-style.”
The consultants mentioned that not solely motorcyclists but in addition girls travelling in rickshaws have been affected by decrease again ache as a result of pressure and accidents they endure as a result of damaged roads. They urged the authorities to launch an instantaneous drive to restore all the principle and department roads throughout the town to forestall younger women and men from everlasting disabilities as a result of dilapidated situation of the roads within the metropolis.
“We as well being professionals are very a lot involved, and to deal with this rising problem, we now have launched a free telehealth service for all those that face these issues,” mentioned rheumatologist Dr Tahir Parveen. “At PAAC, in collaboration with the Ehad Medical Centre, which is treating such sufferers at its 20 centres throughout Karachi, we now have launched a UAN [021-111-113-423] the place sufferers with such complaints can get free consultancy. We information them about therapy and provides them instant attainable treatments.”
